The cavern shook like it was about to cave in, mist swirling around the cracked altar where that rusty dagger sat, glowing runes pulsing like a heartbeat. Caleb clutched the charm, its heat making his hand throb, while Ethan thrashed against the tendril wrapped around his leg, his face twisted in panic. "Get it off me!" he yelled, kicking at the shadow mass. Lila held the dagger, its weight surprising her as she turned it over. "This thing's old as heck—feels alive," she muttered, eyeing the runes.Jenny slumped against the wall, her voice weak. "You guys… just hurry up. I'm done." Caleb glanced at her, worry flashing. "Hang on, Jen. We'll figure this out." He looked at Lila. "What do we do with it? The vision showed a witch using it."Lila frowned, tapping the dagger against her palm. "Maybe we stab the altar? The charm's pulling toward it—could be the lock." Ethan groaned, still fighting. "Stab it? Are you nuts? That thing's got claws bigger than my head!" The entity's growl rumbled, its glowing eyes narrowing as tendrils lashed closer, shadow bugs clicking like a swarm of angry ants."Worth a shot!" Caleb said, stepping to the altar. He pressed the charm against the stone, and it clicked into a hidden slot, the runes flaring green. "Whoa, it fits!" Lila jammed the dagger in beside it, and the cavern lit up, the chant turning into a scream. The eyeless faces lunged, teeth snapping, but the altar shook, roots retracting as the entity howled its form shrinking but angrier, claws slashing the air. The charm and dagger glowed together, and a voice—old, female—whispered, "Blood for the seal." Caleb froze. "Blood? Whose?"
Lila gritted her teeth. "Blood? What the hell does that mean?" she snapped, glaring at the altar. Ethan groaned, still struggling. "Sounds like we're the payment—great plan!" he shot back, his fear turning to sarcasm. Caleb stepped closer, the charm pulsing. "Maybe a drop? We don't gotta go all in," he suggested, his voice low, hesitant. Lila nodded, pricking her finger with the dagger's tip, letting a red drop fall. The runes flared, the chant turning into a scream, and the altar shook.The entity howled, its tendrils loosening on Ethan, who scrambled free, panting. "It worked—kinda!" he gasped. But the ground split wider, a chasm yawning under Jenny. "Caleb!" she screamed, slipping. He dove, grabbing her arm, his feet sliding on slime. "I got you!" he yelled, his voice raw with desperation. Lila rushed over, pulling with him, her face a mask of strain. "Hold on, damn it!" she grunted, tears in her eyes.The charm flared, burning the shadow hands reaching up, but the cavern cracked more, rocks tumbling. "We're outta time!" Ethan shouted, his panic rising. The entity shrank, its rage boiling, and a jagged exit opened. "Go—now!" Lila roared, her voice a mix of fear and fury. They dragged Jenny toward it, the altar's glow fading, the seal half-done. Caleb's heart sank—whatever they'd started, it wasn't over.